‘We want to make sure that we’re creating a safe and supportive environment’

08/28/2015 05:07PM
● By Steven Hoffman

For children like Katrina Miller and
Tyson Taylor and Brandon Selby, the favorite part about Camp
Dreamcatcher is the summer camp aspect of it—the swimming, the
volleyball, the games, the visits with friends. But the therapeutic
aspect of the camp is just as important because that's what will help
them throughout the year.

John Farley is a village chief at Camp
Dreamcatcher, and he works closely with the counselors to make sure
that the children have the best experience possible when they are at
camp.

This year, Farley said, the staff
provided additional diversity training to the counselors to make sure
that everyone is working toward making Camp Dreamcatcher completely
inclusive.

“We want to make sure that we’re
creating a safe and supportive environment for the children,”
explained Farley. “We want the kids to be in an environment where
they can be who they are.”

As part of the effort to help the
children identify themselves in a positive light, the camp counselors
established four themes—warrior, hero, friend, and leader—and
children who exhibited these qualities are recognized by the
counselors.

Farley first became involved with Camp
Dreamcatcher after his fraternity at West Chester University held a
fundraiser for the organization. He looks forward to the week-long
summer camp each year, and, like so many of the counselors at Camp
Dreamcatcher, has an easy rapport with many of the children at Camp
Dreamcatcher.

James Hall, one of the 15-year-olds at
this year’s camp, said that Farley helps him a lot, even after the
camp is over.

While Camp Dreamcatcher started as a
one-week camp program for children between the ages of 5 and 14,
there have been many new programs added to meet the changing needs of
the children. These include weekend retreats, a mentoring program,
and leadership-in-training seminars that take place throughout the
year.

Camp Dreamcatcher officials are always
looking for new programs that will be beneficial to youngsters. At
this year’s camp Jordan Burnham, a mental health advocate and
public speaker for Ardmore, Pa.-based Minding Your Mind, made a
presentation to the youngsters. He discussed how he survived a
suicide attempt during his senior year in high school, and how he has
fought depression to find recovery.

Burnham said that youngsters face many
challenges today and situations like breaking up with a boyfriend or
girlfriend, having a difficult time in school, or dealing with
parents who are in poor health can all cause mental health issues.

Even youngsters who are fortunate
enough to avoid some of these major causes of mental health issues
can still find themselves at risk because of academic pressures or
sleep deprivation.

“All mental health issues need to be
dealt with in the best way possible,” Burnham said.

When Burnham talks to youngsters—and
he usually has between seven and ten public speaking engagements a
month—he encourages anyone who is struggling to be open and honest
about what they are feeling. As a rule, youngsters in the U.S. are
not apt to be open with their feelings.

“This isn’t a culture of talking
about feelings and emotions,” Burnham explained. “No one wants to
show that they are struggling.”

Camp Dreamcatcher executive director
Patty Hillkirk said that Burnham’s talk really made an impact on
the youngsters, many of whom find it difficult to be open about their
feelings.

“I think many of the kids can relate
to his experiences,” Hillkirk said.

Hillkirk added that Camp Dreamcatcher
is always looking for ways to provide addition services and programs
to the youngsters.

“Our dream is to have our own site—a
camp and a retreat center,” Hillkirk said, explaining that a
permanent home would allow Camp Dreamcatcher to offer several
week-long camps a year and have more weekend retreats and mentoring
opportunities for the children.

“Our mission,” said Hillkirk, “is
always serving the kids. We always want to take care of all the kids.
We want to provide as many programs throughout the year as we can for
them. For now, our goal is to keep expanding those programs in a
thoughtful way.”